—In his exploration in the country of the Soumalis, M. G. Revoil has found the vestiges of a Greek colony to which a Gallas white tribe had attached itself. The arms, the clothing, the idiom and the physiognomy of the people of the tribe confirm this opinion.
—Besides the two stations founded at Vivi and Isangila, Stanley has charged Lieut. Harron with the establishment of a third at Manyanga, where M. McCall has already installed the missionaries.
—A new International Belgian expedition is to be organized by Major Hanssens and Lieutenant Vandevelde. M. Popelin, who with M. Roger had left Karéma to found a station upon the west side of Tanganyika, has unfortunately succumbed to the fever and disease of the liver.
—The South African diamond fields have been wonderfully productive. In a single year, according to the testimony of Sir Bartle Frere, brilliants valued at over seventeen and a half million dollars passed through the Cape Town post-office.
—A missionary asked an old African woman what the earthquake was. “Me tink,” said she, “God Almighty pass by, and de world make him a courtesy.” This was a strange answer; but it was her way of saying, “The Lord reigneth; ... let the earth be moved.”
—They have found in the papers of the late Captain Phipson Wybrants, who died in the exploration of the country of Oumzila, a very minute statement concerning the Sabia, one of the great rivers of Southern Africa, which flows into the Channel of Mozambique. The upper part of its course has been little known. The outline of M. Wybrants will allow of the correction of the errors on the ancient maps.
—The complete success of the expedition sent out by the Royal Geographical Society of Rome in charge of Signori Matteucci and Massari is likely to cause a disturbance among map makers. These parties have found their way from Egypt across the continent to the Gulf of Guinea, exploring many hitherto unknown regions in the dark continent. A full account of their journey and the country and people along their way will be looked for with intense interest.
—The conquest of Algeria by the French, in 1830, restored to Christianity that portion of African soil, but for prudential reasons, no missionary enterprises were permitted. But in 1868 a famine occurred which destroyed in some districts of Algeria a fifth of the population, leaving thousands of native children in utter destitution. Nine thousand of these were gathered by the Archbishop of Algiers, and cared for during their youth. In this way the Catholic church has extended its influence and fame far and wide through the back country. A hospital has been provided by the charity of the natives in the village of St. Cyprien where the sick are gratuitously attended.